Gratitude

We have all lived such amazingly blessed times. We all still do.

Holding a book in my slightly feverish hands, I explored how an author was shaped by books. The man talked about reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Letters and Papers from Prison.

He was struck by the great joy that Bonhoeffer expresses at the momentary meeting with some old friends. Here is a man in prison, but who is so totally grateful for a fleeting amount of joy.

How much we have - everyday, day-after-day of grace - and how hollow and mealy-mouthed our thanksgiving.

Just look back at our own family histories.

Eight years ago Sheba and I were in Vellore. We were there because we thought our daughter Asha may be suffering from Hirshsprung's disease. Sheba and I were working at a mission hospital in Jharkhand. Asha did not pass stool for 10 days. She started to feverish. In consultation with the leader of our organisation (who was a paediatric surgeon by training) we took the call and packed up to go on a lightning visit to the best hospital in India - CMC Vellore.


Our relief was great when Asha passed stools spontaneously while we were still in the long bus-ride to Ranchi. We carried through with the trip, however, and took the train down to Vellore, where on that hot March week our beautiful baby smiled and cooed at the doctors who did their tests and told us the good news: everything seemed normal.

The barium meal X-ray (first time I had seen an X-ray as a digital image - and received it on a disc instead of a film) showed a perfectly healthy set of intestines. Was it a 'medical miracle'? Was it a clearing of doubts? Who cares - we are perfectly happy with a healthy Asha - who has never had that particular problem again.

Our smiles tell the story:

Eight years of blessings later we find ourselves in the present.

Small example of the many daily blessings: Our loving six-year-old Enoch has been showering us with little gifts that he makes. A small bag with "I Love You" written on the cover. A little set of pencils tied in rubber bands. A strip of cloth fastened to a stick, making a soft brush.

The power went out this afternoon. He was off to the fridge to get cool water with ice in it.


We are so blessed. So very very blessed.